Ten years after inhabiting one of the most legendary gay roles ever to hit the big screen, “Mean Girls” star Daniel Franzese has come out as gay.

For Indiewire, Franzese, who played Damian in the decade-old hit, penned an open letter to his character explaining his coming out journey.

“I was twenty-six; you were sixteen. You were proud of who you were; I was an insecure actor,” he writes. “You became an iconic character that people looked up to; I wished I’d had you as a role model when I was younger. [It] might’ve been easier to be gay growing up.”

The actor goes on to thank writer-star Tina Fey and director Mark Waters for creating a “true representation of a gay teenager – a character we laughed with instead of at.”

Franzese admits he struggled with the decision to come out publicly, those his friends and family have known, because he was hoping to play a range of parts as an actor.

“P.S. I hate it when people say I’m ‘too gay to function.’ I know you do, too,” he finishes. “Those people are part of the problem. They should refrain from using that phrase. It really is ONLY okay when Janis says it.”

Read the full post here. How are you commemorating the 10-year anniversary of “Mean Girls”?